BERKELEY — Students and activists camped out overnight at UC Berkeley”s Wheeler Hall to protest UC regents” plans for a tuition hike.

Students and activists plunked down in the building”s main entryway early Wednesday evening and about 60 were still there at noon Thursday.

The students, many sitting on blankets with a cup of coffee and laptops, were mostly catching up on school assignments. Food and coffee were in ample supply.

Kathleen Sheffer, a 21-year-old senior from Santa Rosa, said that even if the increase didn”t affect her, she wanted to join the protest. “It”s the principle, because it just doesn”t make sense to charge for education. The government should invest in education.”

Her sister Monica Sheffer, a 19-year-old sophomore, added that “instead of taking money from students, they should be investing in the future of our country.”

Monica Sheffer said she emailed her Persian teacher about her 3 p.m. class and said he responded that he would go there to teach the class.

The eldest sister said she wouldn”t be missing any sessions either — her 4 p.m. environmental design class professor was planning to lecture at Wheeler too.

The protest started Wednesday evening following a vote by a University of California regents committee to raise tuition as much as 5 percent annually over the next five years.

UC Berkeley police spokesman Lt. Marc DeCoulode said about 200 students were at the protest originally and had thinned out to about 60 by 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

The full UC regents board on Thursday approved the tuition increase plan, which would raise student fees by up to 28 percent by 2019 if the state doesn”t increase its funding for the system.

The plan would break a tuition freeze imposed by Gov. Jerry Brown and raise in-state undergraduate fees, now $12,192, by up to $600 next year alone and 5 percent annually in ensuing years, up to $15,560 in 2019.

UC President Janet Napolitano and other university leaders argued the 5 percent was a cap, and that the increases would be lower — or nonexistent — if the state gives the system more money than expected.

BERKELEY — Students and activists camped out overnight at UC Berkeley”s Wheeler Hall to protest UC regents” plans for a tuition hike.

Students and activists plunked down in the building”s main entryway early Wednesday evening and about 60 were still there at noon Thursday.

The students, many sitting on blankets with a cup of coffee and laptops, were mostly catching up on school assignments. Food and coffee were in ample supply.

Kathleen Sheffer, a 21-year-old senior from Santa Rosa, said that even if the increase didn”t affect her, she wanted to join the protest. “It”s the principle, because it just doesn”t make sense to charge for education. The government should invest in education.”

Her sister Monica Sheffer, a 19-year-old sophomore, added that “instead of taking money from students, they should be investing in the future of our country.”

Monica Sheffer said she emailed her Persian teacher about her 3 p.m. class and said he responded that he would go there to teach the class.

The eldest sister said she wouldn”t be missing any sessions either — her 4 p.m. environmental design class professor was planning to lecture at Wheeler too.

The protest started Wednesday evening following a vote by a University of California regents committee to raise tuition as much as 5 percent annually over the next five years.

UC Berkeley police spokesman Lt. Marc DeCoulode said about 200 students were at the protest originally and had thinned out to about 60 by 7 a.m. Thursday morning.

The full UC regents board on Thursday approved the tuition increase plan, which would raise student fees by up to 28 percent by 2019 if the state doesn”t increase its funding for the system.

The plan would break a tuition freeze imposed by Gov. Jerry Brown and raise in-state undergraduate fees, now $12,192, by up to $600 next year alone and 5 percent annually in ensuing years, up to $15,560 in 2019.

UC President Janet Napolitano and other university leaders argued the 5 percent was a cap, and that the increases would be lower — or nonexistent — if the state gives the system more money than expected.